President Museveni Lauds NARO scientists for Anti-Tick Vaccine
By Patrick Okino
President Yoweri Museveni has officially launched an anti-tick vaccine and production facility developed by the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) with the capacity of producing 36 million dose annually marking a major step in combating tick-borne diseases affecting livestock.
The vaccine, known as NAROVAC, was unveiled on April 30 at Nakyesasa in Namuloge, Wakiso District. It is designed to protect cattle from tick infestations and related diseases that significantly impact Uganda’s agricultural productivity.
NAROVAC-ATV1 is administered through injection into the muscle around the neck of cattle. An oral version is also available, which can be given directly by mouth or mixed into animal feed. The injectable vaccine has already been tested on five farms across the country.
According to NARO, Uganda loses approximately Sh3.8 trillion annually due to tick-borne diseases. These diseases lead to anemia in livestock, high treatment costs, reduced productivity, poor-quality animal products, loss of markets, and even death of animals.
The introduction of vaccine is being hailed as a breakthrough for Uganda’s agricultural sector, with the potential to improve livestock health, increase farmers’ incomes, and boost national productivity.
President Museveni praised the scientists behind the innovation and suggested that the government is considering tax-free income for scientists, similar to benefits given to security forces. He noted that the number of scientists is relatively small—about 700 across 16 institutions—making such a policy feasible.
“If you truly want the economy to stabilize, we must think strategically,” he said, emphasizing the importance of supporting the scientific community. He added that despite salary increases, high taxation reduces scientists’ take-home pay, and further reforms are under consideration.
Museveni compared scientists to soldiers and police officers, who receive tax-free salaries, arguing that similar support would strengthen the country’s development efforts.
He also noted that similar interventions have helped stabilize professions like medicine and engineering.
The President commended the NARO team for their contribution to agriculture, describing their impact as “incalculable.”
“This is what I am going to propose and if they kill me then you know that I have died for you like Jesus who died for the truth,” he added.
He called upon social scientists to be a bit polite and use the scientists (brothers and sisters) to build up the economy first and then can record history and literature later.
